President James Michel Letting Praslin Community Down!
Recently the Praslin business community met in a show of unity in open and frank dialogue over policies that are hurting the Praslin business community and the residents alike.
After entering into a Reform Program with the IMF in 2008, Mr. Michel’s Administration failed to take into account the dynamics of the Praslin economy and his Administration implemented a VAT policy, that went from 7% to 10% to 12% to now an incredible 15% VAT on all goods.
One Hundred Percent of the Praslin community relies on Tourism. Hotel workers, make hotelier a career for life. In most countries working tables and caring for travelers is a job people do for only a certain time in their life. On Praslin, waitresses and waiters, and bartenders, tend to do that job most of their lives.
This group of Seychellois welcome service charge of 10% to bills, as a means of earning extra money. But with VAT at a whopping 15% service charge is not feasible. It makes the bill to clients too expensive, and we are earning a reputation on Praslin on the internet for being a rip off destination.
There is only so much Praslin can take. There is only so much tourist will be willing to pay.
Restaurant Bills Outrageous
Visitors and Seychellois regularly tell me they are scared to death to eat out in a restaurant. What kind of country that relies on Tourism, makes their guests scared to death to eat out in a restaurant? Mr. Michel, this is the tax policy created by Mr. Laporte, who has allowed taxes to go so high, that it is now killing our image overseas with Visitors. His taste for Russian Vodka and Russian Caviar from his Russian friends, who fly him around Russian via private jet, have given him a taste buds of a President in waiting. BEWARE!
What Must Be Done
James Michel must reduce VAT to workable numbers (10%) for not just government, but for business and community alike. VAT at 15% plus CSR at 1.5% is simply just ripping off visitors to Seychelles, and hurting the business climate in Seychelles, especially Praslin. The current tax scheme is simply not sustainable.
Air Seychelles Ticketing Rip Off!
Mr. Michel flew into Praslin this week on the IDC plane borrowed from his highness King Glenny of IDC. Mr. Michel did not spend much time on Praslin, spoke very few words, and left Praslin in a rush after opening the Praslin Horticultural Agricultural Show 2014.
If Mr. Michel booked a flight on Air Seychelles domestic, he would have learned that Air Seychelles is charging Seychellois and Tourist alike, Scr. 3,000.00 one way. Scr. 1,800.00 one way , 1,200 one way at times. A round trip ticket on a 15 minute kerosene Twin Otter aging beyond 45 years old, will cost a Visitor to Praslin between SCR. 4000.00 to 6,000.00. A couple can run to Scr. 12,000.00.
Mr Michel, this pricing scheme at Air Seychelles Domestic is killing Praslin business and the Praslin community.
Air Seychelles registered 32% profit in 2012 and 38% profit in 2013. It has increase passengers from 40,000 at the sale to Etihad to 90,000. In that same time, Tourism Arrivals have gone up 11% and 12% each year. In Two years Mr. President, it has reached 22% increase, thanks to the hard work of Tourism partners, and Minister St. Ange creative ways of marketing Seychelles.
In this time Mr. Michel, domestic passengers increased only 3% while tourism expanded 22%. That tells you, there is something seriously wrong with Air Seychelles Domestic. What is wrong, is that Air Seychelles Domestic is ripping off travelers, and ripping off Praslin residents . This practice must stop immediately.
In the spirit of National Unity, I call on you, to demand at the soonest time that Air Seychelles reduce its domestic airfare rates to Praslin, and ask the General Manager Mr. Mojo Papa to stop ripping off Praslin, and stop ripping off our Tourists.
Without reasonable prices for travelling islands become non viable and not sustainable.
Let Praslin breathe, stop killing the island.
Mr. President Michel, stop listening to Mr. Pierre Laporte, Minister of Finance.
Next week I will tell you why, you will be in for a big shock!
Seselwa Unite!
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!
After entering into a Reform Program with the IMF in 2008, Mr. Michel’s Administration failed to take into account the dynamics of the Praslin economy and his Administration implemented a VAT policy, that went from 7% to 10% to 12% to now an incredible 15% VAT on all goods.
One Hundred Percent of the Praslin community relies on Tourism. Hotel workers, make hotelier a career for life. In most countries working tables and caring for travelers is a job people do for only a certain time in their life. On Praslin, waitresses and waiters, and bartenders, tend to do that job most of their lives.
There is only so much Praslin can take. There is only so much tourist will be willing to pay.
Restaurant Bills Outrageous
Visitors and Seychellois regularly tell me they are scared to death to eat out in a restaurant. What kind of country that relies on Tourism, makes their guests scared to death to eat out in a restaurant? Mr. Michel, this is the tax policy created by Mr. Laporte, who has allowed taxes to go so high, that it is now killing our image overseas with Visitors. His taste for Russian Vodka and Russian Caviar from his Russian friends, who fly him around Russian via private jet, have given him a taste buds of a President in waiting. BEWARE!
James Michel must reduce VAT to workable numbers (10%) for not just government, but for business and community alike. VAT at 15% plus CSR at 1.5% is simply just ripping off visitors to Seychelles, and hurting the business climate in Seychelles, especially Praslin. The current tax scheme is simply not sustainable.
Air Seychelles Ticketing Rip Off!
Mr. Michel flew into Praslin this week on the IDC plane borrowed from his highness King Glenny of IDC. Mr. Michel did not spend much time on Praslin, spoke very few words, and left Praslin in a rush after opening the Praslin Horticultural Agricultural Show 2014.
If Mr. Michel booked a flight on Air Seychelles domestic, he would have learned that Air Seychelles is charging Seychellois and Tourist alike, Scr. 3,000.00 one way. Scr. 1,800.00 one way , 1,200 one way at times. A round trip ticket on a 15 minute kerosene Twin Otter aging beyond 45 years old, will cost a Visitor to Praslin between SCR. 4000.00 to 6,000.00. A couple can run to Scr. 12,000.00.
Mr Michel, this pricing scheme at Air Seychelles Domestic is killing Praslin business and the Praslin community.
In this time Mr. Michel, domestic passengers increased only 3% while tourism expanded 22%. That tells you, there is something seriously wrong with Air Seychelles Domestic. What is wrong, is that Air Seychelles Domestic is ripping off travelers, and ripping off Praslin residents . This practice must stop immediately.
Without reasonable prices for travelling islands become non viable and not sustainable.
Let Praslin breathe, stop killing the island.
Mr. President Michel, stop listening to Mr. Pierre Laporte, Minister of Finance.
Next week I will tell you why, you will be in for a big shock!
Seselwa Unite!
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!
Sad - it was a island once full of promise.
ReplyDeleteMahe is the main island, but does its comparative size and power mean that politics is unfairly skewed towards it? Mahe especially Victoria is the seat of national government, so it is perhaps inevitable that national politics and politicians are sometimes seen to be Mahe-focused. The view of the world from inside the Victoria zoo is a very restricted one. National media is also predominantly Victoria -based and even more Mahe -focused, which gives a very distorted picture to the mediasensitive political establishment. However, the need to devolve, decentralise and localise is now a strong theme for all on Praslin and that will give them the opportunity to show what they are achieving on Praslin. A key theme is that this is a time for radical thinking in public services, to achieve economic prosperity and social well-being. Despite a decade or so of public service reform, modernisation and decentralisation, some aspects of our political system still appear rooted in the past. National government is often too Mahe-centric and can be remote in its thinking, culture and policy-making. If Praslin are to maximise their contribution to national economic growth and stability, Praslin's ambition is to go further, with powers devolved from central to a local government system proportionate to the impact they will have on local and national prosperity and wellbeing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you example Mont Plesir to Pasquer on Praslin could built a road and make it a transit to Grand Anse Praslin cost taxi drivers taxi less fuel time to take tourist to Anse Lazio even Raffel Hotel can also benefit from this short cut road to the Air field and less traffick throw Vale de Mai may be you can close Vale de Mai road temporary rebuilt it make it brighter road and safe for your those ugly bus you give Praslinios two tata buses can drive past by with out stoping to let other bus drive throw moron. Were is your vision old crooks or just don't give a dumm for the next generation or don't care for Praslinios or just for money we make?
ReplyDeletePP pe tro vole Seychellios ek Praslinios kick them out Praslinios,on Praslin infrastructure is f**k .only hotel is built.
Parti Lepep zot apel zot lekor KONTPETAN....mon apel zot KALELE.
ReplyDeleteZot dir zot KOSTO....mon apel KAPON ....Zot dir zot KAPAB....mon apel zot KOUYON.
Correct me if I'm wrong.😈😈😈
Domestic Praslin/Mahe is even higher than a monthly salary fo many Praslinois-..Airfare has boosted overall ticket fares more than percent plus in the last past months----nearly 3 times the annual rate of inflation.(NB with the crisis in Irak,Negeria--in the coming months Oil price would also sky rocket--thus amother opportunity for Guy Adam and SEPEC to suck up Seychellois with higher fuel price---Pp could for instance,forsee this fact and take immediate action --but it would not for it is a good means for Adam to suck Seychellois blood dry with higher fee).
ReplyDeleteShould not this sector be opened up to allow Private Operators to enter to Domestic space thereby offering competitive air tickets for Praslinois/Diguous to choose and at the same time stop AirSEY monopoly which is another reason why MIChel government keeps killing Praslinois business persons as well as Individuals with astronomic Domestic Ticket Fee.Praslinois canot pay for the failures of PP incompetency and failed strategy Michel!
Since decades,Pp government has on multiple occasions illegally increase thir undeserved salary but on no occasion increase the salry of workers so that wages equals the high cost of living and give them purchase power--Should Pp thugs had done that--praslinois could have enough to eat,live and pay PP astronomic airline fee.
Charge PAPA at Airsey and other Foreign Ialines CARBON TAX Michel,then you could cover the sucking--dried Domestic ticket that is killing Businesses of Praslin as well as sucking tourists.The latter ,with the astronomic Air fee have to reduce their Day attivities,excursions,going out in Restaruants,etc.. because of Arisey strangling Air fee to Praslin.That bring loss to many small businesses Michel donkey.
You can reduce Ministers' pharaonic month salary and cancel your self-given Pension for life.
You could Make Etihad PAY HIS LANDING AND PARKING FEE as it should be.
You could make PAPA -a foreign pay Tax on his fat cat salary.
You could operate daily Flight to Outter Island so that Tourists can visit on a Day trip with Barbeque etc---for once our Coral Islands thus bring extra money to Air Sey.
Charge of pieces of baggage instead
Reduce price during high Air traffick (rush hours and reduce during low demand or the contrary.
Special package price for families
-Charge according to booking time--that is the early one book the less costly--the later one book price increases
-Employ more Seychellois at the head of AirSey--reduce many costs related to Bonus,foreigners being paid in foreign exchange,housing,free car,first travel tickets for them and family members and othet Perks--all this contribute to high rise in tickets.
-Use Fuel effective AIRCARAFTS
-WITH LESS NO COMPETITITON,HIGHER CAPACITY,FEW PLANES,aIRSEYCHELLES CAN CHARGE HIGH PRICE--AND EVEN IGNORE Passenger complains and concerns.There is nothing to stop them thus no need to lower price.Unless there is competition.
Why do price fluctuate?
Prices usually go up and dowm for many reasons(NB price never goes down in Seychelles ,but allos hiking).No one can really predict when price go up or domw,only the air line knows that.But usually there are FOUR things that drives prices:
-Competition
-Supply
-Demand
-And oil price
-In Seychelles there are other reason attach to it--Many foreigners employ by AirSey who have to be paid higher slary in dollars,free housing,bonus,free cars,free first class flight tickets,catering their families,etc .PP is obsess to make astronomic record profit so to defence the sold out of Air Seychelles to ETIHAD.
Bad policies,corruption.mis-management and so forth.
Jeanne D'Arc
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If Michel donot want to reduce his High and unjeustified Vat and Domestic flight than it is time for Pp to leave MONEY GENERATED by Businesses on Praslin in Praslin then we could take initiative and actions ourselves to solve this problems as well as many other problems.
ReplyDeleteJeanne D?arc
Mahe the main island but Praslin bring more money in pp coffer ki Mahe E pi les Praslinios in shit.He get even woman from Praslin that gave him a baby girl. Praslinios don't want to smell this rat race acll Jam .
ReplyDeletePraslin wants devolution !!
ReplyDeleteThere are basically 9 factors that influence the price of ait ticket.
ReplyDelete- Fuel--nothing adds to the cost of doing business like jet fuel---Okay PP.
-Flight distance--This is common sense right.The farther you fly the more expensive your ticket will be----Hence no justification that a 15 miniute fly to Praslin literally the same price as flying to Mauritius,Outter Isalnds.And that with a plane that use proppellers.
-Competition--the more airlines,te merrier--for passenger.Competition means lower prices.
-FEES---Airsey domestic DOES NOT PAY FEES--another reason why Domestic ticket fee should be lower.
_Empty Seats---Unexisting by Domestic flights---in fact demands is higher than supply--That is most of the time Airsey domestic flights are over booked.So,since there is high demands--Airsey should put of the route more planes instead of sucking passenger because the latter have no choice than pay high ticket due to lack of planes.
-Big Brother factor--Governemnt gets it cut-----After bankrupting the country--Governemnt suck ciitzens dry by all means and all possible tactics including high unjustified domestic fly ticket.
-Timing of Purchase--If you buy your ticket early or at the last minute---This does not exist by Airsey domestic flights --for i said before Demand is higher than supply.
_Timing of Flight--High/low demand----unexisted for demands exceed supply.
I believe the solution is--1)government must reduce rpice ofr domestic flights for there is not justification of such a high fare.
2)Or,allow private domestic airline(at one )to bribg the lack of competition that would automaticall force pirce dowm.
3)Or,Allow other boats to provide services between Mahe/Praslin to compete with KATCOCO thus price would be ofrced Dwom,which itself would forced Domestic Fly ticket to be lowered due to competition.
Jeanne D'Arc
Praslin does not bring more money in goevernemnt coffers as Mahe .for the latter is where most businesses are.However,Praslin generates also millions in revenues that are send to the Central government at mAhe and the latter when the money is not stolen are used to sponsor JJ Spirit,Pay Michel's plane jet fuel,Ministers' life pension and astronomic salary,perks for foreigners like Gurkas,foreigner judges,foreign Mabassadors etc.... and literally nothing is left ofr Praslinois,no Nenefit to the people of Praslin who generate those millions.
ReplyDeleteThere is lots of things to be done on Praslin,and keeping at least half of the millions generated by Praslinois hard working citizens/businesses should be something tacits.For instance,we could have build an Insectarium/botanical garden of Endemic spicies on Cueriuse,Solve water shortage,Boost the use of Renewable energy(soalr Energy)create more night life activites,more tourist attractions,help Locals creating new small and medium businesses,and so forth.
I believe the people should generate the qealth should also benfit from it--there is no reasons why PP members should be robbing money generated by Praslinois to sponsor/pay for their lavish,expensive,discriminatory life style.
For instance,maybe we would have not been able to crearte a competitive Domestice airline to AirSey--but surely a competitive boat service Mahe/Praslin that could compete with KATCOCOC thus forced price dowm,by doing so Airsey domestic flights would be pressured and forced to lower price to attract passengers else it would definitely run bankrupt.
Jeanne D'Arc
Jeanne D'Arc
Ministers,and other public servants earning over 10 thousands rupees should be made to pay tax on their salry.You canot keep destroying businesses with high taxes to pay partilepep fialutreres, and astronomic debt that just not stop increasing.For the later it is high time to set up a borrowing ceiling that should and could not be surplus by government.Partilepep has become too addicted to debt,maybe by setting a ceiling this would stop them for borrwing like a drunken sailor but instead create productive ênterprises etc...
ReplyDeleteForeigners to the likes of PAPA/MAMA whatever his name,earning over Sr 10 thousands plus and base in Seychelles soil .should contribute in tax too on their salary.All expats under contract in Seychelles should posses a Bank account in which all their salry payment should be made to transfer(by law)thus bank could charge taxes on those money when leaving our banks to be transferred to india/Pakistan etc...
Importation of good available locally should be tax higher than products to be found locally.
Hotels with big pools filled with frh drinking waters should be charge by UNit liters a high tax for wasting drining waters just to allow Khalfia to wash his balls and arse in it then discharged in the wild teemed with chloride.
Cars should be encourage to use KAKTALISATORS(to reduce carbon emmssion)those who do not should be charge a Carbon Emmision tax--encourage also the use of cars with KATALIZATORS electrical,Gas propelled cars,.For the latter imporation ,Fees could be reduce to encourage it uses.STOP sucking businesses with High VAt and hundreds of unjustified taxes partilepep.Tax others partilepep.
Instead of giving your police thugs big jeeps with high fuel costs just to patrol within >Victoria city---costing tax payers a fortune for nothing--Encourage your police thugs to patrol by foot,replace by motoer bikes,jeeps with Electrical bikes or SEGWAYS.if you want more ideas contact us partilepep-
PAPA,Scully,foreign jugdes and other earning a fat cat salary --should be made to pay tax on their salary.They work here thus must also contribute by paying tax.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Air Seychelles domestic fares are too expensive and Air Seychelles is ripping off its customers, especially foreigners. Cat Cocos is also expensive but that is due to the hgih tax on the diesel. Michel is only interested in Praslin so that he gets the votes from the idiots there who still do not understand that the money and goods which flow just before elections comes from normal workers and taxpayers rather than from the pocket of Parti Lepep. Seychelles will only change when Albert Rene and Michel are both dead.
ReplyDeleteReduce tax on ticket--and trafer it to Khailfia private planes,yatchts,Michel private plane parking,Carbon Emmission on cars etc..
ReplyDeleteThe price of an Air Seychelles domestic ticket must be viable to the whole economy of Praslin, not just to Air Seychelles. While Air Seychelles is a monopoly on the route, it also serves a public purpose of providing connectivity between Islands and hence, a key operator in advancing inter-island commerce, activity, and general flow of money, opportunity for islands .
ReplyDeleteIf Air Seychelles overprices as it is doing now, connectivity , inter island commerce, Tourism,activity, and opportunity for all islands is reduced.
It is in fact a "No Brainer".
Reasonable price schemes on tickets, will make travelers and residents alike move about inter island more.
This will mean more activity for shops, hotels restaurants, taxis, excursions, charters. guides, ice cream sales and so on.
On the other hand, high prices that are not accepted by the Public, be they Tourists or Residents, will have the opposite impact: less activity even for Air Seychelles Domestic as pointed out.
Thank you.
Christopher Gill
In the Indian Ocean region/countries- including poor Commores Island--Seychelles has the highest cost on oil,fuel.Diesel.Why Partielpep?To pay back money robbed from SEPEC by ADAM?
ReplyDeletePolice officers with revovlers,Ak-47 in a country where citizens are not armed for what partilepep.To deal with thives,drug dealers---well prevention,apprehending importors of hard drugs,educating youth on the issue, good socio-economic polices that is creating jobs and possibilities for Seychellois etc.--and not Ak-47.There is no need for police officers to be armed in a country where citizens are unarmed and no arms in circulations etc...Ak-47s increase spending cost partielpep.Only ,but only on proven dangerous mission such as apprehending a proven aggressive,dangerous person,drug dealer etc.. police officiers should be armed to protect themselves .
ReplyDeleteSeycel nowadays get enough plastic chairs for every single seselwa and the money in FAR account can buy every single Sesewal a flat screen Tv and still can feed them for the next 5o years.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Chris----Operating a service(Which belong to State) that does not benefit the people,businesses,and community country as whole has no need of even existing.And that is more true when the high price charged by governemnt is unjustified.
ReplyDeleteJeanne D`^Arc
Praslin has the potential to excel in economic development. But it needs a government that is alert to the concerns of Praslin, the community and the business players and investors on this secondary island.
ReplyDeleteGovernment must be responsive and not dead beat on the issues.
We must all support SCCI to bring about change, but the government must start reacting faster to the problems as they arise. A dollar lost today is lost forever, for everyone in the food chain.
Praslin its time to Michel and PP to tell us Praslinios how many money they made and spend with our national park like Cuirues,Aride,Coco,Cousin,Valle de mai and also our coco der mer brought to Mahe to sell?PP Praslinios know how many tourists coming from Mahe La Digue,Praslinis land on those island every day if you never give Seselwa a statistic.
ReplyDeleteWe know what pp will tell us,the money use to paid their employers with and spent on fuel for patrolling,but the rest of the money we want to know Michel and all ban voler spu-pi what you do with or they will tell us they buy food with to feed the tortoise.
PP have to go for Praslin to have a real development and Seychelles to move forward and we can rebuilt what was once paradise and Seychellios can to stop depend on foreigners to survives a habit pp and this man seating at State House capo de moron has brought seen in Power and making poor Seychellios falling in the same shit like him and co that they can continue bring more and more foreigners for them to sell and give away what belong to Seychellios peoples.
Zot pou peye en zour pou tou sa ki zot in vole Seselwa.
Praslinois pe ganny pran pou bete, kuoyon, e zil mor nesans.
ReplyDeleteThe have to make public how much money Praslinois businesses generate annually(Surely multi-millions -enough to boost Praslinois economic,pay Praslinois healthcare,deal with ageing population,solve our electricity,water problem,create new jobs and do many other things).And that is why Praslinois should forc Pp to leave money generated on Praslin --in our coffer In Praslin then we could pay a percentage of it to the central government.Send all money generated on Praslin to Pp government allow Pp to rob,sponsor mercnearies,pay illegal foreign judges,illegal foreign police officers to rape our Rightss and dignity and sponsore their lavish life style.Keeping our money on Praslin would avoid and help reduce corruption and local politicains at district level would be pressured to work,deliver,defence local interests be more accountable and tansparent for if they failed to ,the locals would screw them.
ReplyDeleteJeanne D'Arc
Praslin was once known as the garden of Eden.
ReplyDeleteNot any more.
Raffle Hotel is destroying the greenery and the beauty of this place especially during heavy rain.
SCCI discusses private sector challenges on Praslin
ReplyDeleteNation the 26-June-2014
They raised issues ranging from high cost of air and boat access to Praslin, to the high cost of shipping goods and the expanding presence of Destination Management Companies (DMCs).
In his opening remarks, the chairman of SCCI Marco Francis, stressed that the chamber aims to increase the level of two-way communication between government and the private sector.
“The chamber is there to bring the concerns of private businesses to the higher levels. We would like to see businesses on Praslin grow and prosper,” said Mr Francis.
During the talks, members said that fewer visitors were flying from Mahé as a result of increasing airfare costs and that the reservation system for domestic flights was ineffective.
Others raised concerns that the cost of marine transportation was very prohibitive to the economy, with one delegate pricing a roundtrip to Mahé as costing up to and over R30,000.
Members of the boating community, including schooner and small boat operators said they were also facing difficulties. The latter raised particular concerns over DMCs becoming increasingly integrated into the Praslin economy and operating their own boat charters.
“The SCCI works closely with the government and will be taking up these concerns with the different ministries involved at a cross-ministerial meeting in the next few weeks,” said Mr Francis.
In closing the meeting, the chairman commended the private sector for coming together under the SCCI.
http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=242121